Filing device.



No. 794,827; PATENT-ED JULY 18, 1905.

A o WIEGHERS FILING DEVICE.

APPLIOA'I'ION FILED MAR. 28, 1904.

N E S .S E N H W ATTORNEYS NITED STATES Patented July 18, 1905.

ALBERT C. WIECHERS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

' FILING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 794,827, dated July 18, 1905.

Application filed March 28, 1904. Serial No. 200,283.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT C. WIEGHERS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the borough of Manhattan, city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Filing Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to devices for filing socalled index-cards and similar articles, and has for its object to facilitate the picking out of one or more cards from the entire set. For this purpose I have devised a new structure by means of which ordinary cards of equal size may be caused to project from each other at their exposed edges, so as to facilitate their handling.

The invention will be fully described hereinafter and the features of novelty pointed out in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a file embodying my invention, the said file being shown in position for use. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the same parts in position for storage. Fig. 3 is a detail view of the knob and adjacent parts. Fig. 4 is a detail view of a hinge forming part of my improved file, and Fig. 5 is an enlarged partial view showing sundry of the cards in position for'use exaggerated to more clearly explain the advantages of my invention.

The form of construction illustrated by the drawings comprises a suitable box A, the rear wall of which, A, forms a means for holding the index-cards B parallel to said rear wall that is, normally in a vertical position. The side walls A form guides for the side edges of the cards when the latter are moved up and down, as will be described presently. However, it is not absolutely necessary that the side edges of the cards should be so guided. The cards rest upon a support 0, which in the position of use is inclined, as shown in Figs. 1 and 5. In the particular instance shown the support 0 is capable of assuming two positionsone a position of rest, in which it is horizontal, as shown in Fig. 2, and the other a position of use, in which it is inclined, as shown in Figs. 1 and 5. Certain advantages as to storing result from being able to bring the support G into the position illustrated by Fig. 2. It will be understood, however, that these advantages as to storing may be sacrificed, if desired, by giving the support C a permanently-inclined position, as in this case the device will still retain the advantages which are derived from the inclined position of the support C in conjunction with other features, as will be pointed out presently.

The cards B may be held together in any suitable manneras, for instance, by means of a rod D, passing through holes in the cards, the said rod heing suitably secured. Upon said rod may be mounted slidably a holder or follower E, adapted to engage the front card B, so that the entire set of cards is confined between the follower E and the wall A, both of which contribute to hold the cards parallel with the wall A. The follower is adjustable for the purpose of accommodating a greater or smaller number of cards and also for the purpose of enabling the cards to be more readily separated from each other when desired. In the particular construction shown the rod D, which holds the cards B, is also utilized as a means for swinging the support C to either one of its positions. For this purpose the rod passes through a bracket C, secured to the support C, and is screwed at its rear end into a plate F, hinged to the rear wall A. The support 0 is itself hinged to the said wall A, as indicated at G. The front end of the rod D carries a sleeve or knob H, adapted to pass through an aperture A in the front wall A*. A spring I, coiled around the rod D, serves to normally keep the knob H inward. Thus an accidental upward movement of the support G from the position shown in Fig. 2 is impossible. Upon, however, pulling the knobI-I forward it will be disengaged from the front wall of the box, and then the support 0 may be swung upward, a vertical slot A of sufiicient width for the passage of the rod D being provided in the front wall A When the support 0 has thus been raised, the spring I will again force the knob H inward, so that said knob will-rest on the upper edge of the front wall A, thus keeping the support C in its inclined position as long as required. It will be observed that with the parts in such position the wall A,with which the cards are parallel, will form an acute-angled card-receiving pocket with the inclined support C. Owing to this particular arrangement, the upper edges of the cards will project from each other in a stepwise or staggered fashion, very appreciable to the touch, the nature of which arrangement will be understood best by reference to the showing in Fig. 5, where the relative dimensions are exaggerated, so as to render the effect apparent to the eye. In consequence of this arrangement of the exposed edges of the cards it is very much easier to finger the cards than when they stand at a right angle to their supporting-surface.

I have shown the information on the cards facing toward the higher end of the support C, as this is the arrangement preferable as a rule. However, it may be just assatisfactory in some cases to place the information on the other sides of the cards, or the device may be given enhanced utility by using both sides of the cards.

It will be seen from the drawings that my improved file has substantially the shape of an ordinary drawer and may therefore be used as such, the knob H in such case performing the additional function of a drawer-pull. Furthermore, the knob H has been shown as a means for withdrawing the rod D from the cards for the purpose of inserting new cards or removing some cards of the set. For this purpose the rod D has an angular end D, adapted to be engaged by an angular socket 'H of the knob H when the said knob is pushed inward. By then turning the knob H the rod D obviously can be screwed in and out of the hinge-plate F.

' Various modifications may be made without departing from the nature of my invention.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent-- 1 A filing device comprising a frame, a card-support movably connected with said frame, a rod arranged to engage the cards and connected with the card-support loosely to be detached therefrom by a rotary move- 'ment, and a handle movable lengthwise of said rod to assume different positions in only one of which a turning movement of the handle will cause the rod to turn to detach said rod from the card-support, or to secure it thereto.

2. A filing device having an open top and provided, below said open top, with a support for index-cards or the like, said support parallel to the engagingsurface of said member notwithstanding the supports change of position.

4. Afiling device provided with a card-support capable of swinging up or down, com-' bined with a member arranged to engage one of the end cards and to change the angle between said card and the support during the swinging movement of the support.

5. A filing device provided with a card-support capable of swinging up or down, combined with a stationary member arranged to engage one of the end cards and to keep the said card parallel to the engaging surface of said member notwithstanding the swinging of the support. 6. A filing device provided with a vertically-swinging card-support, combined with a member arranged to engage one of the end cards and to change the angle between said card and the support.

7 A filing device comprising a box having a vertical slot in one of its end walls, a tilting card-support located in said box, and an operating projection or handle connected to move with the support and extending through said slot. 7

.8. A filing device comprising a boxprovided in one of its end walls with a vertical slot having an enlargement at its lower end, a tilting card-support located in said box, a projection mounted to move with the support and extending through said slot, and a handle mounted to slide lengthwise of said projection, and adapted to be engaged with said enlargement, or disengaged therefrom.

9. A filing device comprising a box provided in one of its end walls with a vertical slot having an enlargement at its lower end, a tilting card-support located in said box, a. projection mounted to move with the support and extending through said slot, and a handle spring-pressed inwardly and mounted to slide lengthwise on said projection to be engaged with the said enlargement, or disengaged therefrom.

10. A filing device comprising a frame, a card-support hinged thereto, and a retaininghandle connected to move with said support and adapted to rest on a portion of the frame to hold the support in a raised position.

11. A filing device comprising a frame hav In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed mg two superposed hlnges, a card-support my name 1n the presence of two subscribing connected with one of sald hinges, a rod conwitnesses.

nected with the other hinge and with said ALBERT O. WIECHERS. support, and a retaining-handle connected Witnesses: with said rod, to hold the support in a raised JOHN LOTKA,

position. JAMES L. SUYDAM. 

